Design and performance of kitting and order picking systems

This paper discusses the results from a number of case studies carried out within a research project concerned with the design and performance of materials kitting systems. The paper focuses on the design of the kitting systems in terms of location of the order picking activity, work organisation, picking method, information system and equipment. These design considerations are related to performance measurements, such as picking efficiency and picking accuracy, and are discussed in relation to the preconditions of the kitting system In kitting systems, results show that picking efficiency and accuracy can be improved by making better use of the product structure when designing the picking information and when deciding the storage assignment policy. Also, batching of picking orders is cost efficient when extensive sorting and administration can be avoided. In general, combining the work roles of assembly and picking results in less administration.